#GAReads | Women are leveling the playing field at this year's Super Bowl — in the ad breaks
photo credit: HENCE THE BOOM, via Unsplash
“Women are leveling the playing field at this year’s Super Bowl — in the ad breaks”:
A massive cultural shift in the portrayal of women in advertising is evident at this year’s Super Bowl.
The #MeToo movement, increased social activism, and greater efforts by companies looking at gender equality appear to have had an effect on decision-making in marketing departments and creative agencies.
While the NFL's audience typically skews male, viewership of the Super Bowl is almost evenly split between men and women, according to Nielsen data. Yet not so long ago, Super Bowl ads were largely aimed at male viewers, and the commercials were typified by sexist beer ads. Website domain registry company GoDaddy ran especially provocative spots — one year featuring supermodel Bar Refaeli making out with a young tech nerd, something that would seem unthinkable in today’s climate.